Fox Reviews Rock

Introduction

Our North are a band based out of Sheffield that draw inspiration from Bad Omens and Bring Me The Horizon. The Alt-Metal band dropped their EP “Everyone For Themselves” back in July and that is what we review today!

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Review

Choked To Death

I enjoy the intro of this track, with almost mantra-like chanting; however, I feel the effect over the vocals is slightly excessive and takes away from it slightly. The first harsh vocal  “glass” is powerful, raw, and striking!

I really like the cyclical guitar riff just before the drums hit, which drive the song forward. These musicians definitely excel at delivering harsh vocals. If a song is filled with emotion and the lyrics are easy to decipher, I’m all in.

However, the lighter harsh vocals don’t hit right with me; I believe clean vocals would have been a better fit. This theory is quickly confirmed with the wonderful clean vocals blended with the harsher ones in the chorus.

I can’t quite put my finger on why I’m reminded so much of Glamour Of The Kill (a band I adore), but that should be taken as a massive positive! That breakdown is gritty and well done, complemented by a fantastic transition back into the chorus. This is a great start to the EP!

Something To Be

I’m beginning to sense that many of these songs might be a bit overproduced with effects (Or at least in my opinion). The introduction of this track gives off that impression, but once the bass and drums kick in, it significantly improves!

The more I listen to the rap vocals, especially around the one-minute mark, the more I enjoy them. They blend nicely with the drums, creating a fantastic vibe.

Once again, the harsh and clean vocals harmonizing produces a great effect. I would argue that the heavier they go, the better it sounds! In terms of breakdowns, I don’t find this one as enjoyable as in “Choked To Death,” but the closing riff of the song more than compensates for it, as it’s pretty damn special!

Violent Rules

The instrumental start to this song is fantastic, but the sound effects accompanying the rap and harsh vocals feel unnecessary. I also question whether it’s essential to include rap, harsh, and clean vocals in every song.

Maybe omitting one occasionally could add more variety to their music. When the instruments pull back and the harsh vocals take centre stage before and during the breakdown, boy is that part good!

Everyone For Themselves

The rap segment of this track just doesn’t do it for me; I believe it’s primarily due to the mechanical-sounding beat that accompanies it instead of genuine instruments. You’ve invested in them, so why not use them? When the instruments are used the song significantly improves!

The harsh vocals emerge in this track and completely redeem it, along with a special mention for the rap vocals that accompany the rapid instrumental, which is executed well! I have a fondness for harsh vocals, but the pig squeals go a bit too far for my taste, causing the lyrics to take a back seat for the remainder of the track.

Above The Water

The start of this song is definitely my favorite on the entire EP; it has a natural feel, and the clear vocals are enjoyable and lyrically entertaining! This is further enhanced by the aggressive vocals and the fantastic guitar riff that accompanies them.

I get strong Architects vibes throughout this track. The chorus is exceptionally crafted, and the breakdown hits HARD! Transitioning into softer vocals afterward is a brilliant move as well.

We Come To Life

At last, we have some digitally enhanced work that elevates the band’s sound! The atmosphere crafted here reminds me of what Bring Me The Horizon would create, and its been done really well.

The uninterrupted segment of harsh vocals is impressive, but when paired with the clean vocals, wow, is it powerful! Please, please, please more of this!!! This should serve as the blueprint for the band moving forward!

Final Thoughts

Overall this is a good EP with real moments of craftmanship. With a triple threat on vocals (all which are great) I think it is wise to use them all, but sometimes not every track needs all three.

The combination between harsh and clean vocals works really well and should be explored more. The bands breakdowns are often inventive and really hard hitting which I love.

Finally I get that the band are inspired by bands like Bad Omens and Bring Me The Horizon, but I think it is worth noting that not every song needs to be engineered to the extreme. The core of this band is really strong and I am genuinely interested to see where they go with this in the future.

7/10

All rights to the songs used in this review are retained by Our North. This site does not claim any rights over them. All images were provided by SaN Ltd PR. This site claims no rights over the images.